It is a pleasure to be here with you. We had an excellent meeting with President Xi this morning. China and Europe are two of the world’s economic and trading giants. How we manage our relationship will influence our own economic prosperity and national security, but also global stability. So it is absolutely vital that we understand each other’s interests and concerns and that we act on them. We want this relationship to be beneficial for both sides.
Starting with our trade relationship. Europe has always believed in the power of free trade to drive prosperity and that competition has to be fair. And we know that our trade relationship today needs more balance. Rebalancing is a necessity, and it is also in the interest of a stronger relationship between us. What needs to be done to achieve rebalancing: Increase market access for European companies in China, limit the external impact of overcapacity, reduce export controls are important steps forward. On each of these topics, when our concerns are not addressed, our industry and citizens will demand that we defend our interests. But our preference is always, as we do today, to have dialogue and to find good negotiated solutions.
We also discussed this morning our excellent cooperation on climate. We have an intense dialogue on how to make better use of our emissions trading systems for example. We have a shared interest in promoting the circular economy, to turn waste into a treasure. And we would also like to work together with you for a successful COP30 in Brazil. Joining forces here will send a powerful message to the world. In conclusion, there is so much we can do together. So I look forward to our discussions, and to shaping a more balanced future for our relations.
